


Road works ahead

by yeahwrite



Category: The Dresden Files - All Media Types, The Dresden Files - Jim Butcher
Genre: Ableism, Angst, Based on an actual news story, Canon Compliant, Denarians, Flashback, Gen, Mistakes Are Made, Past Injuries, Road works, The Order of the Blackened Denarius, but very very brief, coins, implied suicidal thoughts, in that flashback, mention of war
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-28
Updated: 2019-05-28
Packaged: 2020-03-13 05:12:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,498
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18934141
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/yeahwrite/pseuds/yeahwrite
Summary: A construction worker does some construction working, helping dig up the ground in order for a new road to be paved.And in his wholehearted defence for what was to follow: there was no way, none at all, that he could possibly have known what was going to be unearthed there.





	Road works ahead

**Author's Note:**

> Admittedly named after a meme as I had no other ideas - but I'd like to think doing that remains true to the spirit of the series, in a sense.
> 
> Anyway - this is based on a news story I saw about an "'Incredibly rare' Roman coin found during roadworks".  
> Not based on any actual real people or anything - just the bare bones of the event.
> 
> Hope you enjoy reading!

_There were two people in the body._

_Two people, in the body walking itself raw, blood seeping into the ground below and only being kept from going down to the bone, by the raw determination of one of those people._

_But for the other, they might as well not even be there anymore._

_Walking and walking and walking, away and away and away from what they had just done – the wretched, unspeakable thing, that they had just done._

_As if the distance could possibly make any difference._

_As if for it, they were not already dead._

_Vacant eyes unseeing, flesh unfeeling and ears refusing to listen to the howls of their so-called guest, looking to assert once again._

_To do what those like them did._

_What they always did._

_What the one with burning silver gripped tightly enough in their hand to scar, had been a fool to believe they would never be driven to do. Would be strong enough to carry out orders, but never cross the line they’d set._

_But, they would not be a fool any longer._

_The dead, after all, made no more mistakes._

_And they could not be touched or corrupted any longer._

_Even those, who still yet walked._

_They would bury their ultimate sin and let it harm no-one more._

* * *

 

 

Jeong Park swiped away at the sweat on his brow, as he forced himself to take a moment – moving to unscrew and down a bottle of water as he did.

In the sweltering heat and amount of labour he’d just done, he had no choice _but_ to.

Not that he _hated_ it any less.

Getting this job…he’d _needed_ it.

Desperately.

Sitting at home, just _moping_ over his injuries...it had all but driven him crazy.

He’d tried to fill his time with hobbies, first – from taking up cooking to trying yoga and even learning online magic tricks, only for _none_ of that random assortment to be _enough_.

He needed to do more, contribute more – not feel utterly _useless_.

He’d then tried with that decision, to find another job – serve and protect once again: but none of those would have him, with his “pre-existing condition”.

Nobody he could find, wanted a cop or a firefighter with a metal leg.

He’d _barely_ been able to get into construction.

It had taken a lot of work and demonstration to get into that – for him to _earn_ his way into that, just like he strived to earn everything in his life.

But even now, when he had more than proved his strength and worth – he knew how they looked at him.

When they thought he wasn’t looking.

 _Mollycoddling_ and treating him as if he were some _charity case._

_Not a man who had earned his due just like everyone else – not a man, who was fully capable of getting the job done._

It was enough to drive him up the wall.

He was a soldier.

Even if he’d been sent home - soldier through and through, no matter what.

One who’d gone out, determined to do the right thing.

Who had seen and done and bared things, he would never wish on anyone.

He would not, now that he was home once more, be treated like some sad puppy or lame horse to _pity,_ or like porcelain about to _break!_

 _He would_ _not!_

So, damn right he downed that water as quick as possible – before getting right back onto work, digging up this place for some new road, the raw determination clear on his face for anyone who would look.

He’d have to remember too, to see if he could try actually use it some point, once it was done.

See if it was worth all the hype and effort.

Of course, he’d also have to quickly find some other job once this was done…Darius had said he perhaps had something, so he’d just have to check in with that.

…And remember to meet up with him Tuesday.

Had he taken a note of that? He’d have to check he’d taken a note of that.

With another grunt then as he thought that through, Jeong cleared out some more soil from his way, not even reacting to the fresh bead of sweat rolling just past his eye this time.

He went on to simply clear some more out – only then, to pause for another reason altogether.

His eyes narrowed slightly, as he lifted an arm to try block out some of the glaring sun beaming into this eyes.

Confusion crept onto his face as he did, cogs turning in his head as he did.

Jeong frowned slightly then, as he glanced around – catching one co-worker, Elliot, quickly turning away as he did – before looking back at what he thought he might have spotted, eyes raking over the dirt with a methodological intentness.

…Yes.

There it was again.

A glint!

A _glint?_

Puzzled by the glint, there was only one thing for it – he had to get  a better look.

Briefly, he contemplated whether to yell someone over, for a second opinion – but only very, _very_ briefly.

Doubling down on his determination, to not give excuses for anyone to act like he couldn’t do things for himself.

Like something as simple as looking at a _glint._

As such, he slowly went and crouched down – a slight wince as he did, at the resultant sounds from his prosthetic at this basic human action, which should not have such sounds to it at all.

…There was definitely something there alright.

Not just dirt.

Something metallic, mostly covered but unearthed enough through his digging to be starting to show and shine.

A very rapid flurry of emotions shot through Jeong then, as he felt himself rock in indecision whether to lean forwards or leap back,

Childhood memories of curiosity for imagined treasures and adult memories of very real dirty improvised bombs, warring out inside him.

“You found something over there Jeong?”

He heard called – Sierra, he thought.

Recognised her voice, calling over the din all around of machinery and construction.

Jeong took a deep, deep breathe then, before giving his head a rough shake.

He was being _nonsensical_

There were no IUDs here.

Didn’t look the right kind of texture for it or anything, even if he were still deployed.

“I think so!” He called back then to Sierra, loud as he could – as just then, with that calming realisation: the inner child started to win, with hopes of buried treasure.

He tried to keep his hopes down – lest this be a piece of an old car or bike or something – but they roiled up all the same, in hopes about what he was about to uncover.

Begging, that this be something of note – just, _anything_ of note.

Something to _smile_ and go home and talk to friends about.

Which is why he didn’t wait for Sierra to reach him, before with a gloved hand, starting to brush away the dirt from the metal glint.

“I have it!” He called back, as with the size of it, that proved not be too difficult a task at all.

It was a _coin_ , silver and glinting away in the dirt.

Not any kind of coin he’d ever seen before either.

The exact markings were covered by grime still and illegible - but it didn’t take a _genius,_ to figure out that this wasn’t any of the coins in current circulation.

No, this was something _older_ than that.

Potentially, _much_ older.

A gleeful, childlike grin quickly bloomed on Jeong’s face at this as his heart whelmed – realising that his kid thought of treasure had actually been right!

_This was treasure!_

Actual _treasure!_

The smile even remained on his face then, as others started to arrive around him to see what this was all about.

He tried to wipe away the grime as they did, to get a better idea of what it said – but the whole thing was quite counterproductive with how his gloves were already mucky with grime.

The whole thing quickly became like shovelling muck on top of muck and hoping for something to eventually shine, to the point that with all the eyes on him at the moment – he felt that dreaded feeling of embarrassment start to seep back into that joy.

Determined to avoid that then, Jeong quickly removed a glove, deciding to try wipe it off with his not-so-grimy hand.

Only to regret that decision as soon as the tip of a finger touched it -

A harsh jolt, sent ripping up his entire arm like he’d rammed a fork into a socket – along with the deeply unsettling sensation, of…of being _watched_. Of something _stirring_ and setting it’s full attention on _him_.

The coin fell back to the ground then, as eyes wide Jeong Park both stared at it and grabbed at the hand it had touched.

And as, right in the back of his mind, he could almost hear a word, whispering away ever so quietly -

 

**_Finally._ **

**Author's Note:**

> And then, of course, Jeong Park told himself it was nothing really - and picked it up again.


End file.
